Nicole Carl - Serial Killers

Spring 2012 Inquiry Research Project
Advanced Placement Language and Composition
Ms. Lobitz & Mrs. Host

Research Topic: Serial Killers

Main Question:

Are serial killers products of biology (mental disorders) or ill society.

Sub Questions:

1.What drives serial killers to kill?

Is it "lust", a "disorder", "disability", "hatred", "rejction", "addiction", or "the world" itself?

2. Are mental disorders the reason serial killers have a "need" to kill? (I.E. Narcissism, Post Drama Stress Disorder, Schizophrena, a defect in the development of the brain, social awkwardness, etc)
3. Do they kill because they endured a horrific childhood (from either physical, sexual, or mental abuse) what has made them to grow hatred towards either a certain sex, race, religion, or the world?
4. What are the qualifications what make a person a serial killer other than the traditional "three or more kills"?
5. Are sociopaths and psychopaths gentically made or does the development of character develope over due to a result of life experiences?
Famous serial killers to use as examples:

Ted Bundy (ill society)
Jeffrey Dahmer (biology)
David Berkowitz "Son of Sam" (biology)

Mind Map

Nicole's mindmap

View more documents from whost

Blog (Word Press reflections)

http://nicolecarl.wordpress.com/

Final Bibliography

Wartik, Nancy. "Why Some Kids Go Wrong." McCall's. April 1994: 98+. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 29 May 2012.
Sifakis, Carl. "Bundy, Ted." The Encyclopedia of American Crime, Second Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2001. American History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?
ItemID=WE52&iPin=EAC0219&SingleRecord=True (accessed May 29, 2012).
"What Makes a Serial Killer." http://crimecasefiles.com. N.p., 21 May 2008. Web. 30 May 2012. <http://crimecasefiles.com/forum/ diagnosis-of-categories-and-symptoms/170-what-makes-a-serial-killer.html>.
Holmes, Ronald M., and Stephen T. Holmes. "Understanding Mass Murder: A Starting Point." Federal Probation. March 1992: 53-61. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 31 May 2012.
Scott, Shirely Lynn. "What Makes Serial Killers Tick?" www.trutv.com/library/
crime/serial_killers/index.html. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 May 2012.
<http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/serial_killers/notorious/tick/
victims_1.html>.
Ted Bundy Interview. www.youtube.com. N.p., 2 Apr. 2008. Web. 31 May 2012.
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAHgJFPcOvY>.
Ramsland, Katherine. "The Childhood Psychopath: Bad Seed or Bad Parents?"
www.trutv.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 May 2012. <http://www.trutv.com/
library/crime/criminal_mind/psychology/psychopath/1.html>.
tumblr_m4qxwtN2vo1rqzmx6o1_500. N.d. JPEG file.
Harron, Mary. American Psycho - feed me a stray cat. www.youtube.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 June 2012. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yYEX9dV34I>.
White, Sadie. "Making a Monster: The Biological, Social, and Artistic Construction of a Serial Killer From Psychosis to Sondheim." http://serendip.brynmawr.edu. N.p., 7 Jan. 2002. Web. 1 June 2012. <http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro01/web3/White.html>.
http://scm-l3.technorati.com/11/02/07/26561/TypesOfChildAbuse. N.d. JPEG file.
http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m4qxwtN2vo1rqzmx6o1_500.jpg. N.d. JPEG file
20110126153814-1brain. N.d. JPEG file.
http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m4qxwtN2vo1rqzmx6o1_500.jpg. N.d. JPEG file.